Lung Transplant Information #3 - Waiting on the List

We have previously reviewed the Evaluation and Listing process for a lung transplant. Again, the process is:

Evaluation

Listing

Waiting on the List

Being Called in for Transplant

Life after Transplant

Today, I will pass along what we learned at the Lung Transplant Clinic last week. Following the lung transplant process, next is Waiting on the List.

Waiting on the List – one must be available 24/7. If the team can’t reach a potential candidate, they move down the UNOS list to the next appropriate person. There must be transportation available to get to the hospital quickly.

I learned that the donor does not actually have the lungs removed until the receiver is in the hospital; blood tested and set up for surgery. The goal is to have the lungs exposed to the environment and not hooked up for the shortest possible time. If there is a change in the receiver like an infection or illness, one is removed from the list until recovered.

The goal, of course, is to find the right donor. Most of the donors come from the area around the transplant hospital. It is rare to have them flown in from other areas. The donor lungs must be from someone with the same blood type and the same approximate size. Lungs too small will not support the body and too big will not allow enough room for the lungs to fully expand. The actual chest wall of the receiver is measured during the testing process. The other consideration is the Lung Allocation Score.

Tomorrow, I will write about Being Called in for Transplant.